Titleist TSi Hybrids (TSi1, TSi2 and TSi3)

• The Titleist TSi hybrid lineup includes three models retailing for $279 each.
• The TSi1 is a lightweight design for moderate swing speed players.
• The TSi2 will fit the majority of golfers.
• The TSi3 is for golfers craving a compact, iron-like offering.

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Titleist bills its new TSi hybrid lineup, which includes three models, as the most complete and most advanced in golf.

Advanced, in any club category, is typically a good thing. Complete, however, is one of those “damned-by-faint-praise” type of descriptive phrases.

Consider the metalwood lineups for the biggest manufacturers: three drivers (with low-, mid- and high-launch shaft options) plus a selection of three fairway woods. Hybrids? While there have been exceptions (TaylorMade’s GAPR comes to mind), if a lineup contains two hybrids, that’s a lot.

That doesn’t make sense. With drivers and fairway woods, the industry is resolute in its belief that golfers are best served when they have multiple trajectory and forgiveness options. Shouldn’t the same be true for hybrids?

Yes. In a perfect world. But “perfect” isn’t what I’m working with or what the golf companies are working with. It’s difficult enough to pique a golfer’s interest in a single hybrid. Trying to maintain your attention (let alone get you excited) while walking you through three different TSi hybrid models is a big ask.

Hell, I’m game if you are. It’s what I do.

About Titleist TSi Hybrids

The Titleist TSi hybrid lineup includes the TSi1, TSi2 and TSi3. Score one for branding consistency. All three feature 455 Carpenter steel faces. I’m guessing you don’t much care about that but I’m duty bound to mention it.

At least I don’t have to talk tungsten today. (Editor’s Note: Whew.)

SureFit hosel adjustability is included with each of the three models.

If you’re familiar with the driver lineup and the very recently (today) expanded fairway wood lineup, you should have a sense of where each model falls within the lineup.

The simple way to explain it is that as model numbers increase from 1 to 3, the heads get smaller and incrementally less forgiving.

If that’s all you wanted to know, walk away now. This is a hybrid story; my expectations are low. If you want to dive in a bit deeper … here we go.

Titleist TSi1 Hybrid

The TSi1 hybrid is cut from the same cloth as the TSi1 driver and fairway with additional distinction of not just being the most forgiving hybrid in the Titleist TSi lineup but the most forgiving hybrid Titleist has ever made (based on MOI values).

That’s no small thing given that it’s 20 grams lighter than a standard hybrid. What it gives up in weight, it gets back through its larger footprint.

The Titleist TSi1 hybrid is certainly not unsightly or massive but size-wise it has as much in common, if not more, with compact fairway woods like the COBRA RADSPEED Tour than it does with the TSi3 hybrid.

In fact, Titleist describes it as wood-type hybrid, a “Hy-Way.”

TSi1 Hybrid – Right-sized for the Target Golfer

Not every golfer wants a larger hybrid but considering the target democratic for the Titleist TSi1 hybrid – the moderate swing speed golfer who sweeps the ball and needs help getting it in the air – a larger, lightweight, easy-to-launch alternative to higher-lofted fairway woods makes sense.

As with the TSi1 fairway wood, loft options are generous. Golfers can choose (or mix and match) from a 4H (20 degrees), 5H (23), 6H (26) and 7H (29). Left-handed options are limited to the 4H and 6H.

The stock shaft is the Aldila Ascent 55 HY – 55 grams (regular and stiff flex), 50 grams (R2) and 40 grams (R3).

The stock grip is a Golf Pride Tour Velvet 360 Lite+ Flat Cap (44 grams/men’s, 35.5 grams/ladies’).

Titleist TSi2 Hybrid

Titleist’s VP of Golf Club Marketing, Josh Talge, describes the Titleist TSi2 as “our meat and potatoes hybrid.” Not coincidentally, it’s designed to service what I call the “meaty part” of the golf club market.  As with any golf club, the Titleist TSi2 hybrid isn’t for everybody but it’s the one that should be the best fit for the majority of golfers.

As you’d expect, within the Titleist TSi hybrid lineup, the TSi2 offers a mid-sized profile. For the market as whole, it’s probably slightly smaller than the average but far from small.

The performance characteristics of the TSi2 hybrid are described as high-launching with mid-low spin. Again, relative to the market as a whole, that’s a reasonable description. Within the TSi lineup, as you can probably surmise, it’s the mid-launch, mid-spin option.

Bottom line: the TSi2 is Titleist’s Goldilocks hybrid – just right for those who otherwise find the TSi1 too big and the TSi3 too small.

The Titleist TSi2 Hybrid is available in 3H (18 degrees), 4H (20) and 5H (24) in both right- and left-handed versions

Titleist TSi3

We’ve talked about golf companies trying to do a better job of differentiating their products. So here you go.

While the Titleist TSi3 hybrid is technically the replacement for the TS3, the difference between Titleist’s longest-running hybrid lines has never been greater.

For many, I suspect, the Titleist TSi3 hybrid is the one you’ve been waiting for.

The TSi3 hybrid offers a square-toed, extremely compact shape. Titleist says it’s not a peanut design, though I’d argue it’s not far off. It very much fits the description of an iron-like hybrid.

Golfers looking for a hybrid in this space will appreciate that the scorelines don’t extend to the top of the face. The extra bit of uninterrupted steel works with the loft of the club to provide a bit of a faux topline. It makes the TSi3 look a bit more iron-like still at address.

Titleist TSi 3 Hybrid – Adjustable Weighting

While the TSi1 and TSi2 offer flat weights for swingweight tuning, the TSi3 is the only one of the three to offer adjustable (movable) weighting. The TSi3 hybrid leverages the same rapid change “weight elevator” design as the TSi3 fairway wood.

Instead of conventional draw and fade descriptors, as it does with the TSi3 driver and TSi3 fairway wood, Titleist has labeled the weight positions H, N, T (heel, neutral, toe). That not only conveys the position of the weight but provides a subtle reminder that when you align the center of gravity with impact position, good things typically happen.

Despite its appreciably more compact footprint, the Titleist TSi3 hybrid maintains the same amount of CG movement (roughly 1.5 mm from end to end) of the TS3. Given the hook bias or at least the perceived hook bias of hybrids, I suspect a healthy number of TSi3 hybrid users will leverage the toe position in an effort to take hard left out of the equation.

Of the three TSi1 hybrids, the TSi3 can be expected to produce the lowest launch and the flattest trajectory. I’m solidly an “if it fits, it fits” kind of guy but the conventional wisdom says the TSi3 hybrid is for the better player looking for a workable hybrid.

It’s certainly the most iron-like of the three Titleist TSi hybrids.

If forgiveness is at the top of your hybrid wish list, the TSi3 probably isn’t the play though there is a counterargument that says that the most forgiving club is the one you hit on the sweet spot most often.

I’m saying there’s a chance.

Titleist TSi3 Specifications

The Titleist TSi3 hybrid is available in 3H (18 degrees) and 4H (20) models in both right- and left-handed.

The stock shafts include Tensei AV White RAW 90 HY (low launch), HZRDUS Smoke Black RDX 80 HY (low-mid launch), Tensei AV Blue RAW 75 HY (mid launch) and Kuro Kage Black GC 5G HY (high launch).

The stock grip is the Golf Price Tour Velvet 360 flat Cap 58R.

Titleist TSi Hybrids – Parting Shots

I love options and I’m generally a fan of Titleist hybrids so it’s not a surprise that I like what I see here, especially the TSi3. Still, I’m going to nitpick.

The uninterrupted gloss black crowns are super clean – maybe too clean. The no alignment aid approach works with the TSi3 (even if I’d like to see a bit of texture in the crown) because it provides an uninterrupted look across the length of the topline. When you move into the mass market offerings, and more so for the TSi1 crowd, I suspect an alignment aid would be appreciated.

Selfishly, I would have like a couple of more loft options as well – again, particularly with TSi3. The lack of something in the 15- to 16-degree range seems like a missed opportunity to provide an alternative to low-lofted utility irons. Speaking for myself, I would have loved to see a higher lofted option as well though, reasonably, the market demand is likely less than minimal.

All of that said, I appreciate that Titleist is expanding its hybrid lineup, providing greater differentiation and moving two steps beyond the typical “one-size fits all” approach to hybrid design.

Titleist TSi Hybrids: Pricing and Availability

Titleist TSi1, TSi2 and TSi3 hybrids will retail for $279. Presale begins Feb. 17.  Full retail availability starts Feb. 26.

For more information, visit Titleist.com.